1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a locking clamp for a motor vehicle locking means with a support body which is of a U-shape formed of a single bent metal sheet which has a pair of legs and a section that forms a base plate for attachment to a chassis component, and a locking bolt which is attached to one of legs of the support body so as to extend between ends of the legs of the support body for engaging a latch with an associated lock mechanism, a free space into which part of the latch is insertable is bounded by the support body and the locking bolt.
2. Description of Related Art
Locking clamps of the type to which the invention is directed are known as locking bolts, locking clips and key collars in various embodiments. A particular known locking clamp underlying the invention having a support body bent from a metal sheet in one piece in a U shape is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,902. In this known locking clamp, the base plate is formed by a leg of the support body, for which purpose the leg is widened in the manner of an eye above and below the opposing leg. In the eye-like enlargements the leg of the support body which forms the base plate countersunk holes are provided for mounting screws. The support body is provided with reinforcing beads in the area of this leg.
The leg which forms the base plate and the opposite leg each have through holes which are aligned with one another. A journal-like locking bolt is passed through and riveted on the back of the leg which forms the base plate, while on the front of the opposite leg the wider head of the socket journal is used as a stop. The insertion journal in the area between the legs is provided with a plastic sleeve and a metal anti-wear sleeve which surrounds it from the outside.
One alternative is to provide the insertion journal which forms the locking bolt with a screw thread on an end and to screw it into the chassis component itself.
U-shaped key collars bent in one piece entirely from a metal sheet are known, both as an inside key (German Patent Application No. DE 27 25 345 A1) and as an outside key. In neither case is there a part of the locking clamp which can be identified as a locking bolt; it is a type of locking clamp. A locking clamp of this type has also been known as a locking clamp that is molded in one piece as a chassis component for a hood closure (German Patent Application DE 195 44 746 A1).